Back-to-School Wireless Tips

For parents, the final days of summer signal the start of a new school year quickly approaching. In between shopping for school supplies, meeting new teachers and reestablishing schedules, this is one of the few moments each year when families naturally reset expectations in preparation for the months ahead. This is also the perfect opportunity to review and revise your family’s rules for wireless and technology use.

There are a lot of benefits to wireless connectivity for today’s youth when phones and devices are used responsibly and rules are followed at home, at school and in the community. Teaching safe, responsible wireless rules will set up kids of all ages for a successful school year and create healthy lifelong habits to navigate the connected world we live in.

Set clear, age-appropriate rules that establish when, where and how kids are allowed to use their phone or device both at and away from home

If you’re not sure where to start, CTIA’s Mobile Parent has several parent-focused resources about phones, devices, apps, and parental control features that can be helpful for setting screen time rules and having conversations with your kids about online safety.

Protect your kid’s privacy and secure their devices

Take the time to check the data security and privacy settings on your family’s devices and talk to your kids about the types of personal information and content that is never ok to be shared.

Teach your kids to be aware of scam or spam calls and messages

Talking to your kids about how to spot suspicious activity, like robocalls and spam messages, will go a long way to keeping them safe. Encourage them to tell you about spam right away so you can block and report it.

Talk about AI apps and how to use them

Discussing what AI is, where it shows up, and how it affects our daily lives can help kids become thoughtful users. Trying out AI apps together as a family is a great opportunity to have fun while also modeling responsible use—including how to protect personal information, verify AI’s outputs, and leverage AI as a learning aid but not a learning replacement.

Stay safe on social media and gaming platforms

Having conversations and setting rules for social media and gaming use can help kids establish a healthy balance of socialization, expression, entertainment, and safety. Do your own research before allowing your child to download an app and lean into the built-in settings in the app and on the device to help enforce your rules.

Be a good digital role model for your kids

Every parent wants to set a good example for their kids, and that applies to how we use wireless, too. Helping your kids learn how to thoughtfully use their devices and engage with technology starts with being a good digital role model yourself